Pretty solid and exciting, but the visuals seem downgraded? | Demo Review - Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
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The highly anticipated demo for Final Fantasy VII Rebirth has finally landed on PSN, offering players a taste of what's to come in this PlayStation 5-exclusive installment. Announced during the recent State of Play stream and released February 7, the demo puts players into the opening moments of Rebirth, and features iconic characters like Cloud and Sephiroth during the renowned Nibelheim flashback chapter. It took me around an hour and half to fully complete the demo, with a second part coming soon.
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is one of the highly anticipated video games this year, serving as a direct sequel to the critically acclaimed Final Fantasy VII Remake, which was released back in 2020. Developed and published by Square Enix, "Rebirth" continues the story of the original Final Fantasy VII, diving into the events that follow the escape of protagonist Cloud and his companions from the city of Midgar.
⭐️Demo Score: 8/10
📖Story and Premise
The demo explores Cloud's mysterious past and retelling of his connection to the Shinra corporation, and his complicated relationship with the primary antagonist, Sephiroth; and tells us Cloud’s own experiences during the Nibelheim incident. For the full game, players can expect to revisit iconic moments from the original game, as well as encounter new locations, characters, and story developments.
The story is much more interesting here than in the ‘FF7 Remake’, as it ramps up leading to the actual major events of the original story, unlike FF7 Remake which was basically an expanded glorified tutorial section in the OG game, filled with filler stories. This demo already got me hooked better than FF7 Remake did in its first few hours.
The demo also already offers a convenient feature for both returning players and newcomers alike: a quick 5-minute recap of Final Fantasy VII Remake. This recap serves as a neat refresher for those who have played Remake, helping them reacquaint themselves with the events, characters, and key plot points they might have forgotten or missed.
For players who may not have completed Remake or are new to the series entirely, the recap provides essential context and background information to ensure they can fully appreciate and understand the story of Rebirth. This is true to the statement of Square Enix 8 months ago, saying “We have made preparations so that players who did not get a chance to play the first game can fully enjoy Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth.” Although personally speaking, nothing beats having played the games yourself.
🎨Visuals and Art
The game is powered by Unreal Engine 4, it features ultra-detailed character models that far eclipses the quality of the original PS1 game, with expressive facial animations and fluid movements across the board. The lighting engine is equally impressive.
Playing the Rebirth demo on the PS5, the visuals are at a level of fidelity similar to that of the FF7 Remake on PS5, although for some reason (probaby the more open world nature) this demo looks worse and blurry, especially in Performance mode, which is weird because the previous game Remake had no problems running at 60FPS on the PS5 while still looking crisp and sharp.
Besides that weird and disappointing downgrade in sharpness, There isn’t any major jump in graphics, so expect ‘FF7 Rebirth’ to simply be a direct continuation visually, narratively, and mechanically.
🎮Gameplay
Building upon the foundation established by its predecessor, FF7 Rebirth introduces new combat mechanics, including the innovative Synergy Abilities. These unique combo attacks, filled by the Active Time Battle gauge, add a new found depth and excitement to the gameplay, allowing players to unleash devastating combined assaults between characters.
Personally, I'm not a fan of the combat system of FF7 Remake overall, as I found the animations stiff and system overall shallow, and it doesn't seem to know whether it wants to be turn-based or real-time. There are pretty good real-time pausable RPG games, but the system in FF7 Remake was not one of them. That being said, the combat in Rebirth feels actually better, the animations are smooth, hits are more gratifying, and the combat overall feels more responsive and mobile.
🌍Exploration and Content
The demo showcases not only the gripping narrative and refined gameplay but also provides a glimpse into the expansive world of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. Players can look forward to exploring a new and bigger region, the Junon area, which will be added to the demo later in the month.
⚖️Conclusion
With promises of a yet another 40-hour campaign and brand new locations to discover, Rebirth sets the stage for an immersive and unforgettable midway point for the whole Final Fantasy VII remake saga. The narrative is what I’m excited about the most, but I’m personally curious to see if the overall gameplay will be better this time around.
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